This invention relates to an assembly for transmitting rotary motion from a manually rotatable actuator knob to an operating mechanism in the air control system of an automotive vehicle.
Such assemblies are predominantly found at the instrument panels of automotive vehicles and frequently comprise a sliding element operatively connected to the actuator knob and disposed in a housing. An intermediate lever is attached at one end to the sliding element and is linked at an opposite end to a positioning lever coupled to the operating mechanism of the heating, air conditioning and ventilating system.
Some of the known transmission assemblies of the above-described type include a Bowden cable, a rack being provided for the automatic transmission of the positioning motion from the rotary actuator knob to the fastening point of the Bowden cable. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,667. In such a transmission assembly, the rotary actuator knob is fastened to a gear shaft.
Conventional designs do not enable the conversion of a rotary motion of the operating lever into a rotary motion of the positioning lever with a self-latching function.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved and simplified rotary motion transmission assembly of the above-described type.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transmission assembly which enables the use of a self-latching function.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transmission assembly which converts a rotary motion of an actuator knob into circular motion of a positioning lever.